


Insomnia

by lefantasy



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: 10/10 brothers, Daniel has a lil brother, Domestic Violence, I AM SORRY, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, because shit went down pretty fast, but not the average college theme fanfic, damn cute, it's college AU, so this happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 14:03:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11602146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lefantasy/pseuds/lefantasy
Summary: Was too much to ask to have a normal life?





	Insomnia

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I am back now with another fanfiction! I never thought I would write something for this fandom yet I gave in after having this idea.  
> •Okay first of all, I need to warn that this went down pretty fast. Yes it has cute and happy moments but there are scenes that are a bit heavy. So please, if you don't like any kind of violence, this is not really a recommended fiction to you.  
> • **There is domestic abuse.** Both physical and psychological.  
>  •Daniel has a brother and yes, both are going to be affected. Keep this in mind.  
> •I still don't know how this happened, it was supposed to be a 6k writing and turned out to be a 17k. Special thanks to the cutie **VampireInATrenchCoat** for helping me with the words.

* * *

 

Kang Daniel didn't have good grades—he was simply an average student, but luckily his looks made up for that pretty well. He was that one popular guy in college that everyone had their eyes set on, but at the same time no one dared to approach him because of his popularity. He was pretty much constantly surrounded by a group of guys that didn't give a damn about his looks but actually cared about his personality. Also, besides being handsome, he was a very easy person to talk to. Baekho and Jonghyun, his best friends, had figured that out since they had first started college. The trio had been inseparable since their freshman year, and even now, after over two years, even halfway through the course, they still spent most of their time together.  
At some point, the trio had become a quartet with the addition of Jaehwan, and then had recently turned into a quintet with Jisung (who took his job very seriously whenever the task was brighten up the mood of the group). They were all in arts school and probably 90% of the group was focusing on the idol life.

"So, shall we go to the club later today?" Jisung nudged Daniel's side while facing the rest of the group. "I heard there is a new one two blocks away from here."

"I am down for it," Jonghyun nodded, followed by Baekho, who also agreed with the idea. Jaehwan was a bit hesitant, staying silent for a beat, but all it took was a pout from Jisung for him to finally give in.

"I'll pass that, thank you." Daniel shook his head at the group, though he didn't even look up at them as he replied, head bowed down and eyes completely focused on his phone.  
  
"C'moooon, this is the fifth time you turn down our happy hangout!"  
  
"Jisung, do I need to remind you that I work?"  
  
"But it's after your work, you dummy."  
  
"And I'll be tired too after work. Maybe another day."  
  
"And when exactly will this other day be??" Jisung was still trying his best to make Daniel give up, but apparently the blond, brownish haired boy was still very firm on his decision.  
  
There was a brief silence before Daniel could reply.  
  
People might think Daniel's life was completely filled with happiness and laughter. After all, with his looks, he should be able to get anything he wanted, right? Damn, they were completely wrong about that one. In fact, behind that sweet smile he used on a daily basis, hidden behind the strong, carefully built up façade he so insistently kept up, he was actually facing what was probably the worst time of his entire life. It just wasn't exactly easy to take care of himself and his little brother, who was only 5 years old. And his parents? His mother had passed away right after his brother had been born, which had left them with no one else other than an alcoholic dad, so Daniel had had to take care of himself since a very young age.  
  
"I'll see when I can, okay? You guys should have a lot of fun, drink for me." Daniel chuckled  
  
It was also not easy to study in the mornings, and still have to work a part-time job to bring money into their home. Especially when he earned so little.  
  
"Kang Daniel, you are going with us."  
  
"Jisung, can't you just chill for like, 5 minutes?" Baekho was really annoyed by this. He knew Jisung was the happy virus of the group, but sometimes he crossed the line and just came across as annoying.  
  
The only person that really knew what Daniel was going through was Baekho. He was the type of friend that would spend the whole day sitting beside him, hearing about all the problems Daniel had. Not that the rest of the group didn't deserve to know, but it seemed like Baekho was the only one that would understand him. After all, in all friends groups, there was always that one special friend that was going to stick with you forever, no matter what was happening; no matter what the situation was or how bad things actually got.  
  
Baekho usually helped Daniel get away from Jisung's claws as well.  
  
"Geez, you two. Fine! Next time you better go, or else I'll go to your house to drag you out of it." He used his index and middle finger point at his own eyes, before turning his hand to point at Daniel's direction.  
  
The quintet finished their lunch before returning to their classes, at this point already being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not that the class was boring, but the tone the professor used to teach was so monotonous that in no more than ten minutes, everyone was either sleeping or using their phones. Daniel couldn't wait for the end of the class; after all, he was going to finally pick up his little brother from school.  
  
Kang Hyunsik was the one who would always bring happiness to Daniel's day. His little brother would always cheer him up, even if the older brother was having a bad day.  
After the end of the class, Daniel just gathered his stuff, announcing to his group of friends that he was going to pick up his little brother from school. By now it was routine for the other four boys to see their friend rushing out of the last class of the day because of his brother, so they just waved at him, before they started chatting about the newest game that had recently been released.  
  
This precious time between Hyunsik and Daniel was enough to make the older boy wish to keep going. Breathing a bit unevenly from running, Daniel stopped in front of Hyunsik's school, quickly letting a bright, wide smile bleed into his lips just from seeing the kid running towards him. Daniel kneeled down to hug his brother, quickly patting his head while keeping him in his arms for a moment.  
  
"How was school?" He let his brother go, holding his small hand while they made their way to the smaller school a few blocks away where his little brother took a few extracurricular classes. After all, he wasn't crazy enough to leave his small Hyunsik alone at home, especially if their father was there. Hyunsik was so excited to tell his big brother everything that had happened today that Daniel wished he could spend the whole day hearing his brother speak. The walk that usually took 20 minutes felt like it was done in 5 today.  
  
"So, I'll be back here at 8pm. Always stay inside the school to wait for me, ok?" Daniel did everything he could to take care of his little brother, because he didn't want anything bad to happen to that small angel. "And don't forget to have fun," he finished his advices, giving the boy a small kiss on the cheek, before watching the kid run inside.  
He would always wait there until he saw with his own eyes that Hyunsik had gotten inside the classroom, safe and sound. Fetching his phone from his pocket, Daniel quickly checked the time, before he started walking towards the place where he worked his part-time job. It wasn't far away from there, but he still had to walk a good distance to get there.  
  
He worked as a waiter at a small coffee shop, and he was honestly glad to be there, because after his boss had gotten to know about his life, the man was generous enough to let Daniel have a proper meal at the place. Of course, Daniel knew his boundaries, so he never ate more than he should. Sometimes he would eat less than what he actually needed due to feeling embarrassed for being helped like that.  
  
Not that he was proud enough to not accept the help and simply not eat, but he had a inner feeling telling him that he shouldn't be accepting free food like that.  
  
There wasn't anything new at work today; everything followed the same routine, and he was surrounded by the same people. He would also take turns at the cashier whenever the guy had another problem to solve, as always. There weren't many people today filtering in and out of the place today, so while sitting on the cashier spot, he grabbed his phone, realizing that Jisung was pretty much losing his mind on the group chat. He tried to catch up with the conversation as fast as he could, but the bell hanging above the entrance door rang, announcing a new customer, which made Daniel jump on his spot.  
  
Great, a new client. Or so he thought. He'd never seen the guy in the coffee shop before, at least, and he was pretty sure he would be able to remember a face like _that_.  
  
"Hello, welcome to Coffee'n'Tea. What will be your order for today?"  
  
"I'd like a latte."  
  
Daniel nodded, and while registering the order, he could feel that stare upon him "Would you like something to eat as well?" He lifted his gaze, watching the guy's features form a sweet smile.  
  
"No, thank you."  
  
The blond nodded, quickly looking down as he finished the order. He said how much the latte was, and the guy paid without another word, before turning around and walking away, going to sit down to wait for his order.  
  
Looking around, Daniel noticed the cashier guy coming back. It was his turn to go back to be a waiter now. He prepared the latte himself while more clients were arriving. Not that he didn't like doing this, but he preferred being a waiter over a cashier and he was really glad that he'd left the post as he took in the amount of people arriving now.  
Trying his best to make a perfect Latte, Daniel smiled to himself while making the small leaf on the drink, watching how it turned out better than expected. Carefully, he grabbed the mug, walking towards the guy's table.  
  
"Here you go, a hot latte," he said softly, placing his masterpiece on the table. The guy smiled as he looked down at it, finding that the drawing was rather cute. His eyes focused on Daniel, bowing his head slightly in thanks, before focusing back on his phone.  
  
At the end of his shift, Daniel heard his phone ringing inside his locker. He quickly opened it, seeing that it was Jisung calling. Rolling his eyes, he picked up the call already expecting the annoying tone that would greet him.  
  
" _Yo, this is the last time I am asking you."_  
  
"It's still a no. I need to pick up my brother and help him with his homework."  
  
" _Oh my god, can't you just leave at least one day?_ "  
  
"No. And besides, I already said we can go out another day, right?"  
  
Daniel could hear a mumbling through the phone before he heard Baekho's voice, " _Oh my god, man, you just don't give up! Let Daniel rest, Jesus! It seems like you are his annoying girlfriend that doesn't let him do anything._ " Of course that comment made the blond laugh out loud.  
  
" _Geeeez, fiiiine._ " That was all Daniel could catch before Jisung hung up the call.  
  
Once he was out of work, the older brother made his way back to the extracurricular school, waiting to see his little Hyunsik running towards him again. This time, it was way better than in the afternoon. After all, now they could head home to finally rest. Again, Hyunsik kept talking the whole way back home and Daniel was gladly hearing every detail of it. Hearing that his little brother was doing great in school was enough to make Daniel's busy day worth it.  
Arriving home, Hyunsik went directly to their shared room, followed by Daniel's words about not falling asleep as he was going prepare their dinner. Just as usual, they were alone at home; god knows where the father was at this time of the night. Not that it was important to Daniel anyways. His father's presence at home would turn the happy atmosphere into a dark one, and that was the last thing he and Hyunsik needed that night, especially considering their father had recently had a breakdown after a few months feeling better from the alcohol.  
  
After a few minutes, Daniel finally finished their food, calling out for Hyunsik to come eat with him. They indeed looked like a family; Daniel took so much care of his little brother that sometimes the smaller would jokingly call him dad. They both enjoyed that moment together, and even the aftermath of the dinner was fun. Daniel would wash the dishes while Hyunsik would dry them. With both of them helping with the task, soon the kitchen was clean for the next day.  
  
Even though their relationship with their father was far from being a good one, Daniel would always leave a plate with food for him. That was their way to communicate inside that place. No words needed (considering that words would usually lead to arguments, and that was definitely not what the two brothers needed at the moment).  
In the end, both boys went to their shared room, getting ready to fall into their deep slumber and get prepared for the next day.

 

* * *

  
Early in the morning, Daniel was already up, quickly taking a shower before going to wake up Hyunsik. Again, apparently the house was empty except for the two of them, so after his shower he went to the kitchen to prepare their breakfast. Even though it was already a routine for Daniel, he was feeling really tired today. Maybe his night of sleep wasn't the best he'd ever gotten.  
  
He noticed the plate he'd left on the table for his dad was empty now, which led him to conclude that their father had left home way before they had both woken up.  
Cleaning the remaining dishes, he heard someone stepping into the kitchen. Hyunsik was almost ready for school, even though he was walking like a zombie through the rooms. Daniel chuckled at the sight of him, putting the food on two plates, leaving them on the table where they usually sat.  
  
Their breakfast moment lasted for 15 minutes, and soon enough they were already finishing and getting ready for another day. As usual, after locking the front door, Daniel would take Hyunsik to school and finally proceed to his college.  
  
From afar he could hear Jisung's laugh, and he walked towards the sound, quickly enough founding the familiar quartet laughing with the boy.  
  
"Oh my, who made Jisung laugh at this time in the morning?" Daniel couldn't believe that the happy virus that was usually very difficult to talk to at this time was actually laughing.  
  
"Oh, he barely got any sleep at night. In fact, he got no sleep. He is still awake from yesterday." Baekho mentally slapped himself while Jisung was all giggly.  
  
"How you know he didn't get any sleep?" That question was damn important.  
  
"Well, your girlfriend here went home with me because he was too drunk."  
  
Well, that was enough to explain why Baekho had dark bags under his eyes.  
  
Oh, it made perfectly sense. But still, it was too early to be this happy, Daniel thought as the quintet headed to their class.  
  
Just like yesterday, everything was normal. Same sleepy classes, same table on the cafeteria, same Jisung being more extra during lunch. Nothing was especially new, until he got to work and saw the same person from yesterday walking inside the coffee shop. He had the same sweet smile as before. The guy stood by the counter, waiting to order what he wanted. And it was just his luck that Daniel was again on the cashier spot.  
  
"Hey, welcome back to Coffe'n'Tea. What will you be ordering today?" The soft tone was enough to make the guy chuckle. Wait, did Daniel say something funny? Why was the guy laughing?  
  
"I'll stick to that same latte from yesterday."  
  
"Perfect. Something to eat?"  
  
"Maybe next time." The guy nodded, grabbing his wallet to pay for his order. Sitting down on the same table, he waited patiently for his latte.  
  
There was just something about him that was triggering Daniel's senses. Did he know that person? Because his face wasn't that unknown. He hadn't paid too much attention to the guy's features yesterday, but today he had this weird feeling that he knew the person.  
  
Making another great latte drawing, Daniel finally delivered the order to the guy, noticing the bag the person had. The name of the college the guy frequented was written on the side of it, and boy, it was the same as Daniel's. That was probably why his face felt so familiar. He must have seen the guy around the campus.  
What Daniel didn't realize was that he'd pretty much just stood there, silently staring at the guy's bag, for way longer than he should have, only snapping out of his thoughts when the person chuckled again.  
  
"You study there as well?" The guy's tone was as gentle as before.  
  
"Yeah, I was going to ask the same thing, but I guess your bag says it all." Daniel brought one hand up to rub his nape, feeling a bit embarrassed for staring.  
  
"I am still kinda new there. I found out about this coffee shop because my friends." The guy laughed a bit, sipping his latte. "It's... Daniel, right?"  
Okay how did— He blinked, confused, before he saw the guy pointing at his name tag. Oh, right.  
  
"Nice meeting you, Daniel. I am Seongwoo."  
  
The blond was interrupted before he could even say anything in response as suddenly he heard his boss calling his name, quickly adverting his gaze to the old man behind the counter. He apologised to Seongwoo, making his way to talk to his boss. The thing he didn't notice was how that guy's eyes followed him, stealing a few glances of the boy while Daniel was busy talking to his boss.  
  
His shift ended and this time there was something busying the blond boy's mind. That Seongwoo guy. He kept mentally repeating that name over and over again so he wouldn't forget it, because what if he ended up showing up tomorrow and he forgot the name? Wait, why is he thinking about the guy? He should be rushing to pick up his brother. Gathering his stuff, he made his way to Hyunsik's school, arriving a few minutes late once he'd taken so long to change his clothes and close the shop.  
And yet another night the two brothers shared a great moment when having dinner. Even though Daniel tried to make a new recipe that didn't really go that well. Hyunsik, on the other hand, loved the failed attempt.

 

* * *

  
"Is it me, or there is a new guy in the area?" Jisung was looking at the guy a few tables away from theirs, gaze glued to the boy sitting on his own with a book in front of him, eyes focused on the words.  
  
"What?" Daniel knitted his brows, looking around, not really seeing anyone different in his sight.  
  
"And who is that then? I mean, all the girls are stealing glances at him." The whole quintet was staring at the guy while Daniel was still lost. Is Jisung still drunk or what?  
  
"The brunet sitting alone over there. Are you blind?" Jisung asked, before giving a small slap on Daniel's nape, subtly pointing. He finally spotted Seongwoo on the other side of cafeteria, indeed spending some time by himself, reading silently.  
  
"Yeah, he is kinda new." Daniel went back to focus on his own plate, feeling Jisung's stare upon him. The piercing gaze made Daniel lock his eyes with Jisung's only a moment later, looking at the boy with a confused frown in his brows as he asked, "What?"  
  
"What you mean 'what'? Do you know him?"  
  
"Oh my god, is my girlfriend jealous because I know the hot guy?" Daniel couldn't hold back from laughing. "His name is Seongwoo. He went to the coffee shop the whole week."  
Suddenly the shock in Jisung's face became a sly smirk after hearing that. "The whole week, huh? You've been talking to the hottie for a whole week?" He probably shouldn't have commented anything. That probably triggered Jisung become very annoying because he wanted to know more.  
  
And why did that comment make a slight pink tone appear on Daniel's cheek? "Well, it's my job, what do you expect?"  
  
"Next move I expect is his number on your phone." Why was Jisung being like that? Daniel was feeling his cheeks burning. Okay, he may or may not have been thinking about the good looking guy a lot but I mean, who wouldn't... right?  
  
"Shut up." Daniel waved his hand, dismissing the subject.  
  
"Hey, I'll call him to sit with us." Daniel choked on his water at the words, shaking his head and still waving his hand desperately as he tried to make Jisung shut up. "It's Seongwoo, right?" Jisung suddenly got up from his seat walking towards the loner in the cafeteria, and Daniel could do was watch in absolute horror as his friend walked towards the guy.  
  
_Mental note, Daniel was going to punch Jisung after class.  
_  
The entire rest of the group was giggling by now, watching how Jisung was talking to the guy, suddenly pointing towards to their table. Seongwoo looked up at Jisung before his eyes fell on the quintet's table, watching how the whole group waved at him friendly while Daniel's eyes were trying to focus anywhere that wasn't on the perfect guy's face, which now sported that same smile now as it had back at the coffee shop. That goddamn smile that had been featured in his mind for the whole week.  
  
Daniel panicked seeing Jisung and Seongwoo walking back towards their table. The girls in the cafeteria were probably feeling really jealous about how Jisung was talking alongside the guy with such ease. They sat down and in the next second Jisung was already introducing the rest of the quartet to the boy. The moment Jisung was going to tell Seongwoo Daniel's name, the new boy quickly answered by himself, giving the blond boy a wide smile. Jisung only looked at his friend, giving him another sly smirk.  
"Feel free to join us on lunch whenever you want!" Patting Seongwoo's shoulder, Jisung finally sat down to finish his food.  
  
The quintet + 1 was now having a normal conversation. Okay, partially, anyway; not everyone was talking, because Daniel was having a life crisis at the moment. Why was he feeling so nervous near that Seongwoo guy? Whenever he noticed the boy's eyes on him, his cheeks would start to feel hot again.  
In just a matter of a few minutes, the quintet could very easily agree that Seongwoo was a nice guy to talk to, and it was a true shame that they were in different classes. Well, at least it was a relief for Daniel to know that dreamy guy was not going to be in the same room as them on a daily basis for several hours a day, otherwise he would have already melted with all those glances Seongwoo gave him.

 

* * *

  
"Daniel hyung, what are you thinking about?" Hyunsik pouted while asking his brother for attention on their dinner.  
  
"What, nothing. Why, dear?" Daniel was caught off guard by the question. His little brother crossed his arms over his small chest while looking at the bigger boy. Daniel chuckled at the sight, patting his little brother's head while kept eating. "I am just a bit tired, that's all."  
  
Hyunsik pouted even more, "You promised a story time before bed... Will hyung still do that?"  
  
"Of course! I made a promise, right?" Daniel raised his pinky finger, giving the kid a small nod. Hyunsik quickly smiled in response, raising his pinky finger and lacing it together with Daniel's.

* * *

 

After a few weeks, Daniel was able to have proper conversations with Seongwoo. And by proper, he meant conversation that did not feature him sweating or stuttering while talking. He could still feel his heart jumping while he was near the brunet, though. Daniel finally admitted to himself that he liked the guy.  
He liked Seongwoo.  
  
His friends would always try to help him make a move, but Daniel was too scared. He knew Seongwoo's ideal type by now, but he hadn't really specified any gender preferences. That was good, because Daniel could see a chance with him still, but at the same time he was really scared of being rejected.

 

* * *

   
Something was really off today; Daniel realized it during his shift at the coffee shop. Seongwoo didn't appear at his usual time. Daniel was actually concerned about the brunet. And to make things even better, there was a heavy storm happening outside. His mind was worrying for both Hyunsik and Seongwoo at the same time. His little brother was scared of heavy rains. Hoping things would get better, Daniel was just hoping that the rain would stop by the end of his shift so he would be able to pick up his brother and go home.  
  
Glancing over at the clock on the wall, Daniel was fidgeting nervously, playing with his fingers on the countertop as he noticed the rain was only getting worse. He wasn't even thinking about his well-being, but how Hyunsik must have been scared the whole day. Even though his little brother had a raincoat with him—Daniel had been smart enough to put it inside his bag before they'd left home this morning—the older brother had nothing more than one umbrella with him at the moment. If he was lucky enough, he would be able to walk with Hyunsik in his arms and protect the boy from the rain more than his own body.  
  
Daniel asked his boss to leave his shift a few minutes earlier than usual so he would be able to get to the school soon and make Hyunsik not wait too much today.  
There were just so many thoughts running through his head as he was grabbing his stuff that the moment he stepped outside the shop, he bumped into a customer, quickly bowing his head in an apology for not seeing the person there. He had a bigger priority at the moment, so right now he didn't really care if the person got angry at him or not. Opening his umbrella, Daniel finally made his way to the school.  
  
Let's say that the umbrella didn't help all that much with covering him, so around half of the way he was already soaking wet. Still not caring one bit, the blond boy was able to reach the school at the same time as the bell rang, signaling the end of the day's activities. He saw a lot of kids with their raincoats on running towards their parents, quickly noticing a scared Hyunsik with his yellow raincoat, looking around frantically, and it wasn't hard to figure out that he was very close to crying already. Daniel rushed over to him, finding a place where they could hide from the rain a little without the umbrella, right under a big ledge, hugging the kid near his body, telling him that everything was alright.  
  
He picked Hyunsik up, feeling the small boy rest his head on his shoulder as Daniel was opening the umbrella once again so they could both go home. The older brother could very easily feel how his clothes were sticking to his body at this point, but he ignored it.  
  
The walk home, which was usually fast, was taking forever to end. In fact they weren't, even halfway to their home and Daniel was already feeling his tiredness hit him, and he assumed that was the reason why it took him a few seconds to process that someone was calling his name. He looked around, suddenly seeing a car pull over near them. Daniel's first instinct was to hug Hyunsik tighter while taking one step back away from the car. The uneasy feeling only went away when the backseat window went down and he could see Seongwoo's face.  
  
_Seongwoo._  
  
Damn, he'd completely forgotten about the guy after being so worried about his brother.  
  
"What the hell do you think you are doing? Get inside."  
  
He hesitated for a moement, before he saw Seongwoo open the door of the car, inviting him. He was too wet and he was going to soak the car, though, so he shook his head, returning to his fast walk.  
  
"Daniel!" The driver hit up the gas to be able to get closer once again. Seongwoo shook his head, stepping out of the car so he could get even closer to Daniel.  
  
"Please, I'll give you a lift. You can't be walking around under this weather." Seongwoo grabbed Daniel by his arm and with ease he made the blond boy follow him inside the car. Daniel sat down on the spot near the door, still holding Hyunsik in his arms. The boy was gripping his shirt tightly while still having his face buried on his older brother's neck.  
  
The only words Daniel spoke were to answer it when Seongwoo asked him where he lived, but after that, there was a heavy silence hanging in the air between the two while they were heading home. When finally they arrived, Daniel noticed how the whole street had their lights off. Furrowing his brows, he felt Hyunsik tensing when a lightning stroke near their house. For only a split second, the night was day again, with such a bright, strong light flashing through the sky, but it was gone as soon as it had come.  
  
Hyunsik couldn't handle any more of the heavy noise of the storm, especially with that light show that mother nature was sending them. He ended up breaking down in Daniel's arms, muttering over and over again about how he was scared. Daniel would be lying if he said everything was okay, because he'd never seen such a terrible storm hitting their city like that.  
  
Seongwoo felt his heart ache at the scene, hearing the soothing sounds Daniel was making to try and calm Hyunsik down. Daniel was grabbing the umbrella, ready to open the door when a hand stopped him.  
  
"Daniel, are you sure you two will be fine with no power?"  
  
The blond chuckled, nodding in response to his friend. "It's our house. After all, I am sure we will be fine..."  
  
"You guys can spend the night at my house, if you want. We have a guest room. I am sure there will be no problem."  
  
"It's okay, Seongwoo... I am sure the power will be back soon—" Daniel was interrupted by yet another lightning, striking down at the earth just as close as before . He looked back through the window at their house, noticing once more that there were indeed no lights at all anywhere around them. And this wasn't just about Hyunsik, because Daniel didn't feel really comfortable in dark places. Biting his lips into a thin line, he considered the offer.  
  
"Are you sure there is no problem at all? That we won't be a bother...?" Daniel asked still looking at the darkened pathway that lead to his house.  
  
"Are you kidding me? Of course not. Plus, think fast, because the two of you are soaking wet and I don't want anyone to be sick... I would blame myself for the rest of my life." Seongwoo nodded, giving Daniel a light squeeze on his arm, trying to catch the boy's attention and get it focused back on himself.  
  
"Fine... Just let me at least get a change of clothes for both of us." Daniel looked down at Hyunsik, telling him that he would be back really fast—as fast as he could, he promised. The small boy was reluctant to let his older brother go, but in the end he did as he was told and sat down where Daniel had previously been.  
The blond boy ran inside the house, focusing his mind on Hyunsik while gathering the stuff they needed. He even wrote a letter to father, telling him where he was going to stay, saying how they were both fine and warning him that there were leftovers from the lunch inside the fridge. His mind was rushing him so much that in just a couple of minutes he'd already grabbed what they needed and was already heading back to the car.  
  
Seongwoo was trying to keep Hyunsik busy by talking to him, as he'd watched the boy quickly covering his face after the sky got bright once again. The small boy scooted over a little, moving closer to Seongwoo after the loud sound echoed through the air around them, even shaking the car a little. They weren't strangers after all. Seongwoo had had a lot of opportunities to talk to Daniel's little brother, and that was probably the main reason why the brunet was so concerned about leaving them behind like that. Seongwoo knew a few things about Daniel that made him feel even more protective over the blond boy, and consequently his little brother.  
Soon Daniel was back with a plastic bag containing their stuff. Hyunsik went back to hugging Daniel's arm, feeling his older brother's hand pat his head gently, saying that everything was fine.  
  
"I am sorry about the car, though..." Daniel looked around, noticing how his feet had made a puddle beneath them, soaking the floor of the car.  
  
"Please, as if it was a problem," Seongwoo smiled sweetly at him, looking down at his own feet, "We are kinda used to it, since I am stubborn enough to not use umbrellas."  
  
"Tsk tsk, so stubborn," the blond laughed, gaze focusing on the brunet, giving him that same gentle smile from the day they'd met for the first time.  
  
The ride was relaxing once the driver turned the hot air inside the car. Hyunsik ended up falling asleep while the two friends kept talking to each other.  
Daniel only stopped talking when they finally arrived at Seongwoo's house. Daniel knew the brunet had a good life, but he was still caught off guard by such a big house. His curious eyes where roaming over the architecture of the place. He'd never thought one day he would enter such big house like this one.  
  
"We here!" Seongwoo jumped out of the car once it stopped inside the garage. It wasn't a mansion, but it was definitely huge.  
  
Holding Hyunsik in one arm while his other hand was holding the rest of their stuff, Daniel was still looking around, impressed.  
  
"You never told me you lived like a prince inside a castle," Daniel couldn't contain his comment to himself.  
  
"Stop being silly," Seongwoo chuckled, stepping closer to help Daniel carry his belongings. That was probably a smooth move once the brunet was holding Daniel's bag in one hand, while the other was holding the blond boy's hand, leading them inside the property.  
  
They walked toward the room the brothers would spend the night in, which once again caught Daniel off guard. The room was huge, especially the bed. Hyunsik giggled, wiggling to make Daniel let him go, quickly running towards the bed. Before the kid jumped on it, Daniel was fast enough to hold back him by his arm.  
  
"Hyunsik! Where are your manners?" Daniel felt his cheeks burning after seeing his brother act like that.  
Seongwoo didn't seem bothered by it, though. He simply left their belongings on the table by the end of the room, announcing that if they needed anything, all they had to do was ask. Before leaving the room, the brunet handed the brothers a few towels to them use.  
  
Again, Daniel's priority right now was Hyunsik, so he helped his little brother with his clothing, grabbing one towel to dry the kid with. His little brother was clearly feeling really tired from the day, so after changing into dry clothes, he went directly to lie down on the huge bed, taking more or less 5 minutes to fall asleep. Daniel chuckled at the sight, grabbing the plastic bag he'd stuffed his stuff in.  
  
_Wait._  
  
He knitted his brows together, not seeing his clothing inside the bag. Weird. He was sure he'd gotten his stuff with Hyunsik's and just thrown everything inside the bag. Great, now he didn't have any change of clothes. Feeling the embarrassment building up inside his chest, he tried to think about what he could do. He had to at least make his own clothes dry during the night, but he couldn't really take them off. I mean, it would be really weird to stay only in boxer's in his friend's house.  
  
Biting his lower lip, he gathered his strength to go talk to Seongwoo about his little problem. Even though his face was burning hot from embarrassment, he had to talk to him. He grabbed one towel to place over his shoulders and around his neck as he made his way down the corridor.  
Lightly knocking on the brunet's room door, he heard a small, "It's open." Carefully, he opened the door, not sure how to start the conversation. Seongwoo was probably working on some kind of project on his computer, because his eyes didn't even leave the screen.  
  
"Seongwoo?" he started softly, hands gripping the sleeves of his shirt, nervously standing by the door. The brunet's eyes widened upon hearing his name being called by the familiar voice, and quickly he turned his attention to the blond. He quickly got up from the chair, noticing how Daniel was still soaking wet, dripping a bit onto the polished floor around his feet.  
  
"Is everything ok? Why are you still like this?" Seongwoo didn't even think twice before his hands grabbed the towel to wrap it better around the blond' boy's body. He could feel how Daniel was cold from the rain. Great, now his whole body was cold, and yet his cheeks were burning red from the sudden act.  
  
"By any chance.... uh...." He couldn't find the right words to ask. He didn't want to sound weird or anything. "I forgot my clothes at home... You guys have a dryer?"  
  
"You are freezing, Daniel. Wait here, let me get you a spare set of clothes for you to change into."  
  
Seongwoo moved so fast that in the blink of an eye he was already inside the closet, picking up the most comfortable shirt and pants he had. "You can change in the bathroom," He pointed at the door a few steps away, "Leave them there so that I'll take them down to the laundry."  
  
"Thank you." Daniel held the spare clothing, walking towards the door Seongwoo had just pointed at. After closing the door behind himself, he finally glanced at his face on the mirror over the sink. The tiredness was taking over his expression, yet the red cheeks were still there. _Oh my god, did Seongwoo notice that...?_  
  
Without thinking too much, Daniel dried himself before he put on the comfy clothes. He stepped out of the bathroom, holding the wet clothes in his hands while once more knocking lightly on his friend's door, watching how Seongwoo was quick to help him again.  
  
“You are still freezing,” the brunet said as his hands brushed over Daniel's cold ones. The blond would be lying if he said that he was fine, because indeed, after taking that much rain in one day, his body was feeling really cold.  
  
Seongwoo went to grab a small blanket that was on top of his bed, wrapping it around Daniel to try and warm up the boy. They had already been talking to each other for almost two months now, and yet Daniel still felt bubbles on his stomach whenever he was around Seongwoo.  
  
The next move the brunet made caught Daniel completely off guard. Suddenly, a pair of arms pulled him closer by his waist. In the embrace, Seongwoo could feel how Daniel was still trembling a bit from being so cold. He was in such shock that he couldn't even move his arms, to either push the boy away or give in to that hug. The brunet boy's body was so warm against his that Daniel was feeling so safe there. He could only mentally hope that Seongwoo wasn't able to hear his heart beating frantically against his chest, as if it was trying to jump right out of his body.  
  
And after what had felt like a true eternity, but that had actually nothing more than a second, Seongwoo pulled back, leading them back to the guest room, his hand never leaving Daniel's back while they walked.  
  
"I'll make something to warm you, ok? There are more blankets in the wardrobe. Please make yourself at home, I'll be right back." The brunet smiled, leaving Daniel by the door of the room, walking in the opposite direction from which they'd come from.  
  
Hyunsik was probably having the best night of his life. Curled up under the blankets, the kid had a peaceful expression plastered on his face while he slept soundly, and he defintely didn't look like he would wake up any time soon. Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, checking his little brother to see if everything was okay.  
Daniel got lost in his thoughts while waiting for Seongwoo to return with whatever he was planning. He only noticed how he was spacing out when he saw a pair of feet right in front of him. His gaze lifted to look up at the person standing right before him, finding the brunet towering over him, holding a mug.  
  
"It's not a latte, but it's a chocolate." Seongwoo had to contain his laugh once Hyunsik was sleeping already. Carefully, he handed over the mug, hoping that would help Daniel.  
  
"Just be careful, it's a bit too hot."  
  
The blond looked inside the mug, holding it between his hands to warm them up, and he had to admit, the drink really looked delicious. He took one small sip, quickly humming lowly to himself for being right. That was by far the best hot chocolate he'd ever had.  
  
"Thank you, Seongwoo."  
  
"I hope that warms you up! Please, if you need anything else let me know, ok? I'll be back in my room next door." The brunet smiled, taking careful steps to not make any more sound and wake Hyunsik up. He closed the door silently, with just a soft click, and Daniel could see the shadow of Seongwoo's feet walking away from the room through the small gap under the door.  
  
He took another sip from his drink. That hot chocolate was indeed doing wonders. The blond boy finished his mug, finding himself feeling way better than before.  
Leaving the mug on the nightstand, Daniel carefully slipped under the blankets on the queen size bed he was going to share with his brother, not taking too long to fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

  
The next day, Daniel was awaken by a loud alarm, blaring from his phone's small, yet incredibly powerful speakers. He'd usually wake up before the alarm went off, but today his body took every opportunity it could to enjoy the comfortable bed he was lying on. Looking around the strange room, Daniel woke Hyunsik up before he went to look for his clothing. They were perfectly folded on the table near the door. Wasting no time to get ready, Daniel went to help his little brother—or more like rush him, because the kid had barely even moved on the bed. Daniel was about to start tickling his brother to wake him up, but a light knock on his door made him stop his actions, quickly getting off the bed so he could open the it.  
  
Daniel's eyes met Seongwoo's, making the brunet chuckle as his gaze went up to his messy hair. It took a few seconds for Daniel to process what the guy was looking at. Embarrassed, he quickly ran his fingers through his unruly hair, trying to at least make it a bit better.  
  
"C'mon, breakfast is ready." Seongwoo made a gesture with his head as invitation.  
The blond stole a quick glance behind him, seeing his brother was still in bed. Rolling his eyes, his focus went back to Seongwoo, telling him that soon they would join him for breakfast.  
  
As soon as the brunet walked away, Daniel walked closer to the bed again, having to wake Hyunsik by force now.  
  
"We are late already," Daniel shook his head, finally seeing his brother open his eyes after that long time trying. Groaning a bit, the kid finally woke up, rubbing his eyes lazily, seeing his older brother placing his clothes near so he could change. "We are guests, we can't be lazy, Hyunsik. Plus, if you don't hurry, we will be late getting to your school."  
Soon enough, the two brothers were ready to go to the kitchen to have a small breakfast  
  
Holding the small brother's hand, Daniel walked toward where he assumed was the kitchen—well, they just went in the same direction he'd seen Seongwoo walk in yesterday when he'd gone to get his chocolate. He was a bit hesitant to walk into the room once he heard a few voices there. So he leaned forward, still hiding behind the doorframe, peeking into the room and finding the brunet sitting at the table.  
  
Daniel looked around, trying to find a way to try and catch Seongwoo's attention, but before he could do anything, Hyunsik suddenly walked in the kitchen on his own. Daniel panicked, quickly following his brother inside.  
  
"Oh my god, Hyunsik, you were sleeping ten minutes ago and you're already hyped like this?" Daniel facepalmed himself while both bothers made their way over to the table. Seongwoo could only laugh, watching the brothers taking a sit next to each other.  
  
With so many options on the table, Daniel was feeling a bit lost, reaching for the same things they usually ate in the mornings. He prepared the bread with butter and a glass of juice for Hyunsik, and if it wasn't for Seongwoo, the blond would be only drinking milk. Sometimes the older brother would forget about his own hunger, always putting Hyunsik's needs before his own.  
  
Just like Daniel did, Seongwoo prepared the same bread for Daniel, leaving it on the boy's plate so he wouldn't need to bother preparing it himself. Daniel was very confused to find the food on his plate, quickly looking up at Seongwoo, who was apparently more worried with his own food now.  
  
Well, of course he wouldn't deny food, taking a bite before he turned his attention to Hyunsik, patting his head before telling him to not take too long because they still had to walk to the school.  
  
"Please, my house is a bit far from college and Hyunsik's school. I can give you guys a lift there. After all, I brought you two here, right?" The brunet nodded, clearly not willing to take no as answer.  
  
"But you did so much for us already..."  
  
"Daniel, please, you say that as if we barely know each other," Seongwoo laughed, shaking his head.  
  
"...only if that doesn't bother you, like at all."  
  
"Of course not."  
  
Still reluctantly, Daniel finally gave in, accepting the ride to the school and college, and honestly, he was kinda glad for it, because now that he thought about it, he didn't really know exactly where that house was.  
  
They gathered their stuff and soon both brothers and Seongwoo were inside the same car from yesterday, intending to drop Hyunsik off at school first. Daniel got out of the car just to say goodbye to his little brother, giving him that warm hug as usual and seeing the kid run into the school, and then waited see Hyunsik enter the class just to make sure he was fine. As he got inside the car again, Seongwoo had his eyes focused on his own phone while waiting for the driver to get them to the college campus.  
  
The ride was filled with nothing but silence until Daniel finally broke it. "Hey... I don't even know how to thank you. What you did for us was beyond nice."  
  
The brunet shook his head, smiling as his gaze mee Daniel's. "I already said we are friends, right? I'll be here for whatever you need."  
  
"Still, I need to thank you for that. It's been ages since the last time I saw Hyunsik sleep so peacefully like that."  
  
"I am really happy to hear that he slept so well like that. But did you sleep well too?"  
  
"Of course, everything was really comfortable. I wish I could stay in bed the whole day, especially in such a soft bed like that one," Daniel chuckled before he finally heard what he said. That phrase had sounded way better in his mind, before he'd actualled said it out loud. "I mean, it just made me want to have a lazy day, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, lazy days are the best thing." Seongwoo nodded, putting his phone away in his pocket. The two didn't notice the time flying and soon they were stopping in front of the college entrance. Well, Seongwoo was probably the only one who noticed, because Daniel was smiling so much while talking that he didn't even bother to look out the window when the car stopped.  
  
The brunet scooted closer, waiting for the right moment Daniel would stop talking to tell him that they had arrived. The blond boy blinked, looking around to look outside the window and at the main portal of the college entance right there, just a few steps away. He quickly looked down to the door handle, trying to open the door for them, but apparently it was still locked.  
  
_Too much technology for simple boy Daniel._  
  
Seongwoo laughed, kinda enjoying how he blond was trying to open the door without unlocking.  
  
"The other way."  
  
"What?" Daniel tilted his head, not really getting what that meant.  
  
"It's locked, see the red mark there? Press down on the opposite side of the mark so you will unlock it."  
  
Great, that only made Daniel even more confused.  
  
Daniel's hand just hoevered there on the air above the handle while he stared down at the lock like it might just come to life and bite him. He didn't really get the instructions right.  
  
"Like this," Seongwoo used one hand to support his weight on the seat, arm touching Daniel's while the other went over Daniel's lap to reach for the door, in a way kinda pinning the blond to the seat. Seongwoo was way too close now, and Daniel could feel the guy's breath, fingers going directly to press the button like he'd said.  
  
The blond would be lying if he said he didn't stare at Seongwoo's lips so close like that.  
  
"See? It's easy. Now let's go." The brunet pulled his hand back to himself, leaning back so he was back on his seat, eyes looking for his bag now. Daniel's hand opened the door, heart wanting to jump right out of his chest.  
  
He got out of the car, fixing his clothes while waiting for Seongwoo. As soon as they were both making their way inside the college, people had their eyes glued on the two, which instantly made Daniel a bit uncomfortable.  
  
Jisung was trying to explain something for the quartet, but he had to stop talking once his eyes found Daniel and Seongwoo walking towards them. Daniel had his shirt with the two first buttons undone and his hair was even messier than normal. Seongwoo didn't linger too much in the social circle, waving at everyone before heading to his own class. Jisung had that familiar sly smirk playing on his lips as he looked at Daniel, lifting an inquiring eyebrow at his friend and finding a huge ass blush on his cheeks.  
  
"Hey, I know he is pretty good boyfriend material, but damn, already??"  
  
Daniel looked at his friend confusedly, not really understanding what he'd wished to imply with that.  
  
Jisung only pointed at his shirt and hair, saying, "You don't even need to explain what happened."  
  
The blond boy's brows knitted together, and he looked down at his shirt, widening his eyes while trying to close the buttons quickly, but of course he fumbled a little with them.  
  
"It's not what you think."  
  
"No? Yeah sure."  
  
"Oh my lord, I slept over at his house, but not in that way." Daniel finally managed to close his shirt, running his fingers through his hair, trying to tame it at least a little, but apparently that was a lost battle.  
  
Jisung was about to say something else, but Daniel's hand was way faster to lay a slap on his arm to make him shut up.  
  
They headed to class after that, and for the first time in a lot time, Daniel was actually able to pay attention to the lecture without falling asleep. That bed had indeed done wonders on the boy. He was more awake than ever.

 

* * *

  
The day went normally as ever. His shift at the coffee shop was tiring as usual, and yet Daniel was especially happy today. Everything was going as planned, and his boss even found it very weird how Daniel was such in a good mood. He would usually spend the day sitting whenever he could, whenever there were no customers to take orders from or deliver food to, but today he was able to remain standing and walking around during his whole shift without even complaining about his back.

 

* * *

 

On the following weeks, Seongwoo needed some help with his projects and Daniel was glad to help him with that. The routine that would usually consist of leaving home, going to college, picking up Hyunsik from school to go to his extracurricular class, work and then go home now had a small addition. After his shift, Daniel would accept rides from Seongwoo to pick up his brother and they would all head over to the brunet's house. Consequently, both brothers were arriving home way later than expected.  
And that shouldn’t really be a problem, considering their father was barely home.  
  
_That was where Daniel was wrong._  
  
It happened after about a week enduring in the different routine.  
  
The night started out normal, though—they both got home after dark, Hyunsik smiling as always, enthusiastically telling his brother about how he loved every time they went to Seongwoo's house. Daniel couldn't agree more. It just felt so great to be in Seongwoo's company.  
  
As Daniel stepped inside their house, though, it was almost like he could sense something different in the atmosphere. There was another person inside the house, and the older brother knew damn well who it was. Daniel kneeled down, telling Hyunsik to go to their shared bedroom, leaving their stuff in the living room before going to where the person was, as it was the only room in the house he could hear movement in.  
  
Their father was cutting something on the kitchen—some sort of vegetable, green and rough on the outside, but from where he stood Daniel wasn't sure what it was.  
  
The man quickly broke the silence as soon as Daniel stepped through the door. "I thought you two had forgotten about me." Daniel knew by the tone that their father was angry. And by the smell, he had probably taken a few sojus before arriving home.  
  
"I was helping a friend."  
  
"You must be fucking kidding me. _Helping a friend_ ," he snapped. Daniel could hear the mocking tone in those words. "You should be helping me at home, because I am the only person who does things for this house. Now I have two useless pieces of shit to take care of. One that can't even live on his own and a grown ass man that is probably going out with another guy."  
  
Daniel was taken aback by that comment. In less than five minutes, his father was already making him lose his mind. He stood there speechless, looking at the person's back, not quite finding his voice to say anything in response.  
  
"Yeah, Daniel, don't even bother trying to come up with excuses, because I know damn well where your intentions are going with that brat. Do you think it's fucking funny? Going out with another guy?" He shook his head, letting out a huff, "You make me laugh."  
  
The guy forcefully laughed, making the boy wince, still not looking at Daniel.  
  
"Disgusting. I can't even call you a son. You see, this is my house and you are not going to dishonour me like that."  
  
Why the sudden attack? Every word felt like a spear going right through his heart. Everything had been going so well, and now Daniel was feeling like the worst person alive. Why were those words were affecting him so much? After all, Daniel didn't even consider that guy to be his father anymore. They were strangers that lived in the same house, nothing more than that, so why did this hurt so much?  
  
"I can't even believe you are my son. Maybe the beatings that I didn't give you when you were younger would have taught you how to be a man. See, it's horrendous to see two guys together, and you know why? Because that's not natural. Guys shouldn't be with guys." There was a pause, heavy and loaded, the tension in the air so present you might be able to cut it with a knife, weighing down on Daniel's tired shoulders.  
  
At last, the older man sighed. "And as I can see, you enjoy spending time with other guys a bit too much."  
  
Why did that bother the man so much? It was such a sudden topic that Daniel was still trying to process it; trying to understand where all of this was suddenly coming from.  
  
"I bet you two have been fucking the whole week. You think I'm dumb?" Those were the last words that left his mouth, spit out through his teeth, every syllable coated with a clear hint of anger and disgust, before the man left the knife on the cutting board, finally turning his attention to Daniel. He stepped closer and the blond boy took the same amount of steps back to keep some distance between them.  
  
"Guess we have a winner here. I have a gay son that fucking disobeys me."  
  
"Don't call me your son, because I am not your son."  
  
"Oh, so the gay boy decided to speak, huh? Tell me, are you happy with your boyfriend? Hm? Is he making you happy? Is he satisfying you?" Those words were followed by a harsh slap on Daniel's cheek. "Your mom would be disgusted by you. Oh no, not only with you, but with your little shit of a brother as well. After all, he was the one that ruined this family."  
  
"Don't you dare speak about Hyunsik like that!" Daniel didn't know where that strength to speak had come from.  
  
"You think I am lying? Our family was destroyed after that little fuck was born, you know why? He made your mom sick. If wasn't for him, she would still be here with us."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"You don't like the facts? Newsflash for you, boy, I am having to share this house with two biggest disgraces in my life. You think I am happy? I am far from happiness, and the  
two of you are the ones to blame for that."  
  
That was his limit. Daniel tried to step away from the kitchen, already thinking about leaving the house, but his father grabbed him by his arm, nails digging into his skin, pulling him back to his place.  
  
"You don't like talking to your father?! This is our bonding time, why you disrespecting me?!" The hand was still holding Daniel in place, while the other one laid yet another harsh slap to the skin of Daniel's face.  
  
Daniel was standing close to the doorframe of the kitchen, so as he turned his head away, his eyes quickly focused on the door of his shared room. He could see Hyunsik, looking completely frightened while staring at him. He was very close to crying, it was easy to tell.  
  
The man noticed how Daniel had his attention focused on something, digging his nails even deeper into the boy's skin.  
  
"Where is Hyunsik, huh? I miss him." Daniel felt so much disgust in that tone that he pushed the man back, making him stumble back against the table.  
  
The blond boy rushed to the bedroom, quickly picking Hyunsik up. He still didn't know how he did what he did, but he had Hyunsik tight held in one of his arms while the other was holding their bags.  
  
Daniel was so nervous that he ran out of the house, not able to think straight. The fear was consuming his entire body, which normally should be enough to disorient anyone, and yet he continued walking away from that nightmare that he had once called home. His hands were shaking and Hyunsik was harshly gripping his shirt, face buried in his neck, already sobbing. Daniel could still hear the mad man screaming behind them, but he noticed he wasn't following them. After all, the man wasn't even able to walk straight.  
  
It was dark already and Daniel kept walking, at least until they were a few blocks from that place. He didn't find his voice to speak; his mind was running like crazy and the only thing he was able to pay attention to right now was Hyunsik's soft, choked cried that his brother was muffling on his shoulder.  
  
He was in such a standby mode that he only snapped out of it once he realized his legs had made their way to the coffee shop. It was the closest place from their home, and a familiar trip that he could make without a thought by now, so it made sense that his muddled brain would take him here. Daniel was breathing heavily once they reached the place. Still speechless, his legs ended up giving up on him right then and there, causing him to harshly land on his knees right in front of the door. Hyunsik was still gripping his shirt, but the bags were already on the ground beside them. They didn’t have a place to go to now. His friends were probably all sleeping already at this time.  
  
There was only one person that came to mind. His only hope. With shaking hands, he reached for his phone, looking for a specific number in his contacts list, hoping that they would help him.  
  
The phone rang five times and Daniel was about to hung up when a sudden noise caught his attention. He heard the sound of someone breathing coming from the phone, followed by a groggy hello.  
  
“S-seongwoo....”  
  
“ _Daniel??_ ”  
  
"I—I am sorry... I know it's late...." He took a deep breath, holding the phone even tighter, and found that he couldn't let out any more words right then, voice getting caught in his throat on the way out.  
  
" _What is happening? Are you okay??_ " He could hear how the brunet was getting nervous already, even over the phone. Daniel wanted to say everything right then, just let it out pour out of his mouth, but he wasn't able to let the words slip out of his lips. " _Where are you?! Daniel, please answer me_."  
  
He stood in silence for a long beat, looking around, noticing where he was standing. His heart was still beating like crazy and it was only after hearing Seongwoo call his name for probably the fifth time that he was able to reply.  
  
"Coffee Shop... I am at the coffee shop."  
  
" _Stay there. Is Hyunsik with you??_ "  
  
"Y—yeah."  
  
" _Don't hang up. Keep talking to me_." Daniel was able to hear how Seongwoo was desperate, judging by how he could hear a few things falling on the background, as if knocked to the floor in his hurry.  
  
The next thing Seongwoo heard made the brunet's heart almost stop. Was Daniel crying on the phone?  
  
Daniel was hating himself for suddenly breaking down like that. The words his father had all but spat at him came back all at once. He was on the edge already and those hateful words were enough to trigger the final switch.  
  
" _Listen to me, Daniel. Take a deep breath_ ," Seongwoo said calmly through the phone. He could still hear that the boy was crying; could still pick up on the low, muffled sound of him sobbing, so he'd thought it better to ask the blond to keep talking. The brunet had to at least keep Daniel's mind busy while he was getting ready to meet the brothers.  
  
Holding the phone between his ear and shoulder, Seongwoo didn't think even twice before making his way to the garage, intending to get the car. He had only his sweat pants and an old shirt on. He didn't even care if it was cold outside; he only wanted to find Daniel now.  
  
" _I am here for you_." He started up the engine of the car. He could hear that Daniel's sobs were finally ceasing on the other end of the call, after he did what he was told. He was taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. " _You are doing great_."  
  
With his back pressed against the shop door, Daniel had his eyes fixed on the ground. He didn't know how his arms were still holding Hyunsik and the bags in place. It just seemed like those words were slowly filling Daniel's head, in a way relaxing him.  
  
Seongwoo was glad already that Daniel hadn't yet hung up the call, meaning that he was willing to wait until he got to the shop. " _I am almost there, Daniel_." The brunet was desperately looking around, trying to find the two brothers, but so far he caught no sight of them, until finally he spotted them.  
  
Daniel had his gaze down while Hyunsik was hugging his neck. From afar they looked fine. The older brother was actually brave enough to stay alone like that. He could have tried to reach for help in another place, and yet he apparently trusted Seongwoo more than any other person right now.  
  
He stopped the car right in front of Daniel, and now the brunet could see the state of the two boys. Hyunsik was rather calm in his nrother's arms, but the older boy looked like he might be in shock. Quickly getting out of the car, Seongwoo stepped closer to them, eyes trying to catch Daniel's empty, distracted ones.  
  
"Hey," the brunet started, bringing both hands up, gently placing them on the blond's arm, "I am here."  
Daniel was definitely tired. It was written all over his face, painted in every single feature just how truly exhausted he was.  
  
"I am sorry," he simply said, gaze finally meeting Seongwoo's.  
  
"You don't need to apologise," The brunet shook his head at him, "I said I would be there for whatever you needed. C'mon." Leading the two to the backseat, he noticed Daniel was basically moving on automatic mode. His legs gave up as soon as he entered the car, finally having a place to sit down.  
  
The ride was silent, yet there was tension in the air.  
  
Hyunsik fell asleep on Daniel's lap while they made their way back to Seongwoo's house.  
Differently from other days, which were normally filled with laughter from the trio, the moment they entered the enormous house, the atmosphere that had been dark already became almost hard to even breathe in. Seongwoo didn't want to push Daniel to speak, though, even though that was definitely what he wanted to do the most.  
  
The two brothers shared the bed again, though they did so in complete silence. Hyunsik was just a kid, so he didn't really understand what was happening. Sleepiness won this round, pulling him under in just a matter of a few minutes.  
On the other hand, Daniel spent the whole night awake. Even though his body was asking for rest, begging even, his mind was very much intent on keeping him awake. Words that he didn't want to remember came all at once, echoing in an endless loop inside his head, constantly bouncing off the insides of his skill, plaguing his every single thought and making him replay the scene that had happened back in their house inside his head over and over again.

 

* * *

 

  
On Friday morning, a day that should have been yet another normal day, sunrise found Daniel sitting frozen on the edge of the bed, eyes glued to the floor as Hyunsik was still sleeping. They had gone to bed late last night and Daniel had already decided he wasn't going to let his brother go to school today. His emotional side spoke louder this time.  
Still, he had to talk to Seongwoo about thid. After all, this wasn't Daniel's house.  
  
With a light knock to the wood, Seongwoo opened the door of the bedroom, blinking in surprise when he was greeted with the sight of the blond boy just sitting there. It was obvious that Daniel hadn't gotten any sleep at night. The brunet had never seen such deep, dark bags under someone's eyes before.  
  
"Seongwoo... I need a favor."  
  
Seongwoo was honestly worried that the boy would collapse anytime soon.  
  
"I can't let Hyunsik go to school today... He needs a place to stay while I go work,"  
  
"Daniel, you are not leaving this house today as well," The brunet shook his head, watching the confusion quickly fill the other's eyes.  
  
"I have to work."  
  
"You think I'll let you go outside in this state?"  
  
"Seongwoo it's nothing. Soon I'll be feeling better...."  
  
"Daniel, you always put your health aside. Please, let me take care of you."  
  
"You don't need to."  
  
"But I want to," Seongwoo said, bringing both hands up to cup Daniel's cheeks in order to make the blond look at him.  
  
"I am just being a bother to everyone. I don't wanna be a bother to you too..." Daniel's eyes fell to his feet. It felt like the knot that had formed in his throat got even bigger after saying that.  
  
"You think that having the person that I cherish the most by my side is a bother to me?" The blond felt the tears slowly forming on his eyes. "Daniel, you don't know how happy you make me when you are beside me. I do care about you and I don't like one bit to see you being so harsh to yourself. You work hard, you have a great personality. My god, you stole my heart the moment I saw you at that coffee shop. Please, just like you take care of Hyunsik, let me take care of you."  
  
Daniel's eyes went up again after feeling Seongwoo's thumb gently wiping one stray tear away from his eyes. "Kang Daniel, I like you so much and I don't want anything bad hurting you." Those words were enough to make the blond bury his face into Seongwoo's shoulder. The brunet wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling the boy even closer to himself. With careful, tender fingers making soothing motions on Daniel's lower back, he gently pressed a kiss on the latter's temple.  
For the first time in years, Daniel felt safe.  
  
He knew Seongwoo's warm body could provide security, but today he could actually feel that. His hands were trembling as they reached for Seongwoo's shirt, gripping the fabric as tears fell from his eyes, sliding down his cheeks. He was too tired to do anything right now. All he wanted was to have those arms around him, slowly soothing him; melting the pain away.  
  
The sobs slowly faded as Daniel was finally calming down.  
  
"Try to rest, okay?"  
  
Daniel nodded his head slowly, even though he didn't want to move from that position. The hand gripping the fabric of the shirt loosened its strength as the boy stepped back. Before leaving Daniel to rest, Seongwoo gave him that one smile, that beautiful smile that somehow always managed to make him feel better, before walking out of the bedroom so he could go to class.

 

* * *

   
Just like the other day, it took Daniel a lot more than expected to fall asleep. The scenes from the exchange with his father kept replaying in his mind, even though now he was calmer. He was trying to understand why suddenly his "father" had brought up the subject. Why did that even bother the old man?  
  
But now, those harsh, hateful words that were floating around in his mind were slowly being replaced by Seongwoo's. Soothing ones He didn't know how, but when the loving words came back, he could actually feel that safe hug Seongwoo had given him moments ago again, as if the other boy was still here, arms wrapped around him like a strong, protective shell. He wanted to feel him again.  
  
With that, Daniel could feel his eyes slipping closed already as he laid back down next to his little brother, slowly drifting into his dreamland.

 

* * *

   
There was no doubt that they had both needed rest, but too soon Daniel was abruptly woken up with his phone ringing, widening his eyes while trying to remember where he had put his the device. Hyunsik groaned, burying his face down into the pillow, hoping that soon enough his brother would make that annoying sound go away.  
  
Daniel rubbed his eyes, stepping out of the room to pick up the call.  
  
_It was Baekho._  
  
" _Daniel?_ "  
  
"Hey..."  
  
" _We are worried here. What happened_?"  
  
"Uh..." Daniel didn't even know how to say what had really happened. Of course, Baekho was the one who knew the most about his personal life, but he was still shocked from last night. "My father... Well, I had problems."  
  
By the silence that took over the other end of the line, the blond assumed his friend knew what must have happened.  
  
" _I am going to your house, then_."  
  
"No, no, you can't."  
  
" _What? Why??_ "  
  
"I am not home..." Daniel looked around the corridor, "I am at Seongwoo's..."  
  
" _What are you doing there??_ "  
  
"He helped me yesterday, Baekho. I—I..."  
  
" _Why didn't you call **me**_?"  
  
"I am sorry. I was in panic, and I—" Once more, the words got caught on the way out, dying in his throat before they could even form on his lips. Honestly, he didn't even know what he had been about to say. Daniel had completely forgotten about Baekho last night. Why was his mind suddenly only calling for Seongwoo?  
  
With a heavy sigh, Baekho kept going, _"…anyways, are you okay? Is Hyunsik okay?_ "  
  
Stealing a glance at the boy sleeping on the bed, Daniel nodded, humming a quiet, "Yes."  
  
" _Okay, good. I am sure you don't want to talk about it over the phone. So when you need someone, call me, okay? I'll go right away_."  
  
"Thank you, Baekho."  
  
" _No problem. Take care._ " Daniel nodded to himself again, before hanging up the call.  
  
Checking the time, he noticed it was already past 2pm, so they needed to at least eat something. Assuming there wouldn't be any problem with them wandering downstairs to find some food, Daniel went to the kitchen, thinking about what he could prepare while looking for where the food and the tools were.  
Soon Seongwoo would return from class, so he needed to add more ingredients to the dish. After all, the brunet had let him stay, and there was nothing better than repaying his kindness with food.  
  
In half an hour, the food was ready. Everything was in order, so now his duty was to be able to wake Hyunsik up. Leaving the plates in place on the table for the trio, Daniel went back to the shared room he was staying in with Hyunsik. Incredibly, today the boy was half awake already. He just needed a few calls and nudges to open his eyes. Daniel could only laugh when the boy suddenly got up from the bed as soon as he heard that they would eat now.  
  
They both went to the kitchen, Daniel helping Hyunsik sit down on those high chairs placed around the table. The kid couldn't wait to eat, so in just a second, the younger was already eating. Daniel had intended to tell him to wait for Seongwoo, but it would be useless at this point. Differently from Hyunsik, though, Daniel did wait for the brunet to get home.  
  
Not that it took too long, as by the time Hyunsik still had his bowl half full, Daniel heard the front door opening and closing.  
With a small smile flooding his lips, Daniel looked over at the door, expecting to see Seongwoo.  
  
And there he was, standing by the doorway, though the brunet looked around the kitchen for a moement before his eyes met Daniel's.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
"We didn't eat anything... Actually, we overslept—" Seongwoo laughed as he heard that, taking a seat beside Daniel. "Sorry for not telling you. I assumed it was okay to come to the kitchen? I didn't—"  
  
"Shhh, of course it's fine. Did you two eat well?" the brunet asked, quickly earning an eager nod from Hyunsik.  
  
"I didn't know if you would be hungry, so I prepared one for you too." Daniel looked down at the bowl placed in front of Seongwoo. "I hope you like it."  
  
_That was extremely cute of Daniel_.  
  
And what left Seongwoo completely speechless was the fact that both his and Daniel's bowls were full. Meaning the blond boy had actually waited for him to get home so he could eat.  
  
"You know, you didn’t need to prepare one for me, right?"  
  
"Well, since you always went to the coffee shop after class to eat, I assumed you would be hungry," Daniel laughed, finally able to taste the food. He knew he could cook better than that, but it was still pretty good.  
  
"Touché," Seongwoo laughed, grabbing the chopstick to taste the dish. Daniel did a great job with the cooking, and Seongwoo gave him a thumbs up, not wasting time to speak as he ate.  
  
While eating, Daniel felt the sleeve of his shirt being tugged down a bit. He turned his attention to Hyunsik, tilting his head at his little brother, nodding lightly in response after hearing that he would go back to the room. And soon he was watching the kid disappear out the kitchen door without even giving a chance to Daniel speak.  
Seongwoo only watched the scene, smiling at how the two brothers interacted. The moment the little brother rushed out of the room, though, his eyes went to Daniel. He could see the loving stare the blond had for his brother; it was obvious how much Daniel cared for Hyunsik.  
  
After they were both finished with their food, Daniel got up from the chair, picking up the bowls and taking them to the sink. He started to wash them, but Seongwoo was quick to tell him that he didn't really need to do that.  
  
"Hey, you were nice enough to let us stay here. The least I can do is help you, right?"  
  
"Still, a guest shouldn't be washing the dishes." Seongwoo stood up, quickly sliding into place beside Daniel in front of the sink. He moved his hip to the side, bumping it lightly against the other boy's to make Daniel stop, but the boy didn't even flinch, much less move from his place.  
  
"Takes more than that to make me move."  
  
"Is that a challenge?"  
  
"I don't know," Daniel shurgged, raising one brow, side looking Seongwoo, "You tell me." His gaze fell back down to his hands while he continued his task of washing the dishes.  
  
"With those eyes, you are definitely challenging me. Kang Daniel challenging Ong Seongwoo. Tsk tsk."  
  
"Well, if you are willing to make me move, then please, give it your best shot."  
  
While tapping his chin, Seongwoo looked Daniel up and down, all the way from his head down to his feet, trying to think of the best way to solve that challenge. First, he tried tickling the boy, which led to a completely fail, as Daniel didn't even tense up. Furrowing his brows, the brunet once again tried to bump his hip, but it really looked like, just as Daniel had said, he wasn't really going to move away. Seongwoo raised one brow upon hearing Daniel chuckling at his failed attempts. He still tried one final move, though, and without thinking too much, Seongwoo leaned forward to place a kiss on Daniel's cheek, watching how the boy was clearly very much taken aback by it. Daniel's knees failed him a little, making him take a step to the side to try and regain hiss balance.  
  
_Win._  
  
Daniel blushed so hard he had to bring his hands up to cover his red cheeks as he looked back at Seongwoo. "That was low blow."  
  
"You gave me no rules." Seongwoo winked, taking Daniel's spot so he could finish the task.  
  
Seongwoo was too sneaky sometimes.  
  
Accepting his defeat, Daniel walked back over to the table, leaning against it, face still burning. The bubbles in his stomach were back again and suddenly he was feeling very nervous. After a few minutes gathering his strength to speak, Daniel finally broke the silence that had at some point completely taken over the air in the kitchen.  
  
"Seongwoo...?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Did... did you really mean that...?"  
  
He watched as the brunet carefully dried his hands after he was done with the washing. "About?"  
  
Daniel was feeling so weak all of a sudden, because Seongwoo had such confidence when he talked. "You know, what you said earlier... about cherishing me?"  
"I meant every word." He nodded, stepping closer to Daniel. Just like before, Seongwoo brought his hands up to rest on Daniel's hips—just like he'd done when they'd hugged days ago—thumbs gently massaging his clothed skin. "I love you, Kang Daniel."  
  
Daniel couldn't believe what he'd just heard. His eyes were focused on those lips right in front of him, mesmerized. He still didn't know how he was able to move at all right then, and differently from what he'd expected, the blond was the one to move forward and lock their lips together.  
  
It started with a sweet kiss, with Daniel tilting his head to the side as his hands went up to Seongwoo's shoulders, arms slowly wrapping themselves around his neck. Daniel didn't even notice how he was the one pressing their lips together more enthusiastically with every second that passed, as if asking for more. Seongwoo only followed the lead, waiting for the opportunity to finally take over the kiss.  
  
Which didn't take too long, and eventually Daniel opened his mouth without even waiting for Seongwoo ask him to.  
They broke the kiss at some point, gasping for air, and Daniel could finally see why his knuckles were hurting so much. His hand was tightly gripping Seongwoo's shirt, making the fabric crumpled, shaped by his fist into a very uneven pattern because of the way he was holding it. He pulled his hands to himself, feeling how the brunet didn't let him go just yet. He opened his mouth to speak, but Seongwoo interrupted him with a small peck.  
  
"Does this prove to you that I meant every word I said? How I want to take care of you?"  
Daniel slowly nodded his head, feeling the embrace around him tightening. He leaned his head down to rest it on Seongwoo's shoulder, wrapping his arms around the figure before him.  
  
Things felt so right in that embrace and again, that safe feeling was back. He knew Seongwoo loved him.  
  
But still, that wasn't enough to fix how his life was suddenly going downhill. Even though he wanted to stay, he had to come back home. He had to face reality.  
  
Giving himself a moment to enjoy what he considered now to be the best place on Earth, Daniel eventually pulled back, eyes falling to the tiled floor around his feet before as he whispered, "You know I can't stay here forever, right?"  
  
"Yeah, and that's why we should enjoy every moment of it," Seongwoo nodded, hands going up to run gently through Daniel's hair.  
He would be lying if he denied that this, which was by far the cheesiest day he'd ever spent with Seongwoo, was also by far the best day of his life. The only enemy of that notion was the clock—time itself, if you will. Time was flying way too fast and when he noticed it, the day had shifted into night already. He needed to go home now.  
Gathering his belongings, Daniel took a lift back home with Hyunsik. He was praying that their father wouldn't be home. After all the sojus he'd had yesterday, he was probably either sleeping or outside of that hellhole called home.  
  
Sleeping was the most probably thing to happen next for them, so slowly he opened the front door, holding Hyunsik's hand while stepping inside. As routine, Daniel kneeled down, telling his brother what he had to do before his speech was interrupted by that one familiar voice; the one he wished he wouldn't hear in this house right now.  
  
"What are you two mumbling about over there?"  
  
Hyunsik opened his mouth, but Daniel quickly placed his hand over it, not letting the kid speak. They stood in silence for a long, tense beat, before the voice in the kitchen sounded through the house yet again.  
  
"You two think I am dumb? I could hear you, especially you, Daniel."  
  
"We are going to sleep," was all Daniel could say at the moment.  
  
"Aren't you two lazy asses going to help your father? I've been working the whole damn day." Sure, if somehow 'work' meant 'drank' the whole day, Daniel thought with a mental scoff.  
  
Suddenly the person in the kitchen dropped whatever they were doing, clattering echoing in the air for a moment, before they finally stepped into the living room. Their father had that disgusting smile playing on his lips as he eyed the brothers.  
  
"Awn, look at those two. The family is finally reunited," their father said, stepping closer to them. As instinct, Daniel pulled Hyunsik behind himself. "Shame you two are worth nothing. You know, Daniel, you are so useless that you didn't even take your brother to school today."  
  
_How did he know that?_  
  
"Don't give me that lost face, boy. His school called home and you know who picked up the call? Me. The only responsible person around here." Daniel only gulped nervously, watching the hatred on the man's eyes grow clearer as he got closer.  
  
"You know how bad it is to miss class, Daniel? You are corrupting your brother, that's what you are doing." The guy just kept going with the words, like an endless string, and one after the other they jumped from his lips, sharp and harsh, coated with anger, "It's already being a pain in the ass for me to have a gay son, and now you are bringing your brother down along with you?"  
  
He shook his head at Daniel. "Oh, and talking about yourself, let me guess—you ran off to your boyfriend's house? Did you suck him off to pay for the stay? Or did you sell that useless ass of yours? I mean, surely both must be really tempting offers for you."  
  
"Why you even care?" Daniel closed his hands into tight fists, feeling more anger than disgust at the moment.  
  
"Oh, so something happened, right?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Daniel quickly snapped his head to the side after the slap that followed. He felt how Hyunsik gripped the fabric of his pants, still covering himself, trying to hide from sight.  
  
"You don't fucking talk back to me, you whore. Show respect to your father." He brought his hand up to grip Daniel's hair and pull him to the side. The blond fell on the ground. He tried to get up, but the man forced him down again.  
  
"And you little shit, you don't even deserve to be here." Now the guy's focus was on Hyunsik, suddenly grabbing the kid by his arm and pulling him closer to himself.  
Daniel grew pale watching the scene. He saw his father holding the little Hyunsik in such way that was clearly hurting him. The kid was crying and he couldn't do anything to stop it. If he stepped closer, the madman would end up hurting him even more.  
  
"Stop crying and man up. This is just the beginning for you."  
  
Daniel felt fear rushing over his body, washing over his insides like a powerful tidal wave, and even though he couldn’t move, he still somehow had strength to speak. "Please.. Stop."  
  
"Or what? You think you can stop me? Oh, let me tell you, the last person who tried to stop me got hurt."  
  
The blond boy's lips were dry already. There wasn't anything he could do. For the first time, he couldn't protect Hyunsik from those evil hands. The infinite possibilities of confrontation went down the drain just by watching the desperation on Hyunsik's eyes while looking back at him.  
  
The alternative he had in mind was too risky, he knew that, and yet it was the only way to make that man stop. Daniel remembered early that day, how Baekho had called him, saving the number as a recent contact. If he had a chance to reach for his phone in his pants and call him, then his friend could probably help. In such a state, the guy was more focused on Hyunsik, those filthy eyes glued on the kid and not his eldest son. This was his chance.  
  
Still on the floor, paying attention to his father's every movement, his hand slowly slid down, stopping whenever the father stole a glance at him to make sure he hadn't moved. Careful as a surgeon, Daniel was finally able to feel the device on his hand, though he didn't pull it all the way out of his pocket; simply part of it would have to be enough, as he couldn't take the risk. Tilting his head, eyes looking down just briefly to be able to unlock it, mentally cussing himself from wearing such tight pants. He saw Baekho's number on the screen, pressing the call button, widening his eyes as he heard his father's voice cut through the air again.  
"What are you doing there? You suddenly became quiet." The guy's eyes were suddenly narrowed, and it was clear he was suspecting what the blond had in mind, as quickly he demanded, "Show me your hands."  
  
Just as he was told to, Daniel raised his hands up, showing that he was in fact doing nothing. A moment later he could hear a faint, "Hello?" coming from his pocket, followed by a muffled, "Hey, Daniel?" The voice was low enough so that only the blond could hear it.  
  
"Guess I need to show manners to my sons, right? That way you two useless bastards can at least treat me better in the future." All what Daniel wished for now was that Baekho could help him. He left his phone in his pocket with the call still on so that his friend could hear everything.

 

* * *

   
On the other end of the call, Baekho was holding the phone tightly as he pressed it against his ear, not sure what he was hearing. Daniel wasn't answering yet, but he could he a muffled conversation happening. At first it had seemed as if that call was not intentional, and he had been ready to finally hang up when something caught Baekho's attetion. There was a shuffling sound in the background, which he assumed it was some kind of cloth rubbing on the microphone. Okay, so the phone was either inside a jacket or pants. Not that it was important. But now he could hear things better—the muffled voice became clear all of a sudden, and he was finally able to hear the words it was saying clearly.  
  
"You and your brother are worth nothing. You two are so useless that I need to teach manners to your brother, teach him how to be a fucking man, and teach you, Daniel, to stop being a fucking whore."  
  
Suddenly, it clicked. That was why Daniel wasn't answering. This call was a cry for help.  
  
Baekho kept the phone pressed against his shoulder and ear, reaching for the phone in his house so he could call the police. The words kept going and they were quickly making Baekho go into shock. He knew Daniel didn't have a good relationship with his father, but he'd never even imagined it was that abusive.  
He practically vomited the words on the phone as he talked to the police, trying to help his friend as quickly as possible. Giving them the proper address, he heard the police officer finally say that they were on their way. Still listening to Daniel's call, Baekho grabbed his things, calling a taxi to be able to go to the blond boy's house as well. He knew it was dangerous, but from what he was hearing on the phone, all he cared about right then was to make sure that nothing bad would happen to the brothers.

 

* * *

 

  
The madman was still holding Hyunsik tightly by his wrist, telling him to shut his loud mouth. The kid was trying, but the pain was piercing through his body and he couldn't not cry. His father was hurting him. Rolling his eyes, the guy went back to the kitchen, coming back with a knife in his hand.  
  
"Shut up now, or I'll make sure to leave a mark on your neck."  
  
Daniel quickly raised his hands in surrender shaking his head at the words. "Please, just let him go..."  
  
"You think asking me like that will change my mind, you damn slut?"  
  
Even though it the last thing he wanted to do right then, the blond looked away from the madman and down at Hyunsik, watching as the little boy's small hands trying to pull away from the man's grip. "Hyunsik... look at me," Daniel started, his eyes full of concern, "It will be fine..."  
  
The kid turned his attention to Daniel, shaking his head while still crying.  
  
"Holy shit, Daniel, you can't even calm your brother the fuck down."  
  
"Please, Hyunsik... I am here, nothing will hurt you." That was already a lie, as the kid could feel his wrist being almost twisted, but he still let it slip past his lips like a vowel that he wished with everything he had he could make truth.  
  
"You know what? I am tired of this bullshit. Let's end things quickly. But let's change things. You are making me more nervous than the little shit here." The guy pushed Hyunsik to the side, still holding the knife as he walked towards Daniel. Kneeling down, the guy held the blond by his neck, pushing him down to the floor the floor, choking him. The boy coughed, hands quickly flying up to grip the man's wrists, trying to push him off of him. He could feel the strength of his hands slowly fading away, though, slipping between his fingers the more the guy held him down.  
  
The sudden noise outside the door made the man above him tense up, though, lifting his head to look in the direction where the voice was coming from.  
  
"And you even dared to call the cops now, you idiot? I need to say you have the guts." The guy laughed, trying his best to pretend, to give his best act while saying there wasn't anything wrong. The police insisted to say through the door that they had received a call that had sent them to this place, and that they needed to make sure things were indeed fine. The father rolled his eyes ready to reply, when Hyunsik started to cry, loudly.  
  
"Sir? Open the door right now."  
  
"Or what? Huh? This is my property"  
  
"We received two calls about the noises inside your house. There is a kid crying. Open the door now."  
  
"Shut up! You can't tell me what to do with my life."  
  
Daniel wanted to push the guy off of him, but the grip around his neck was making him too weak.  
  
"Sir, this is the last time we will ask," the officer said, "Open. The. Door."  
  
The guy shook his head, giving Daniel a death glare tightening his grip around his neck once again. The blond was already seeing everything around him fading slowly, and he was coughing a lot more now, using the rest of this strength to place his hand on the guy's chest in a feeble, failed attempt to push him away for a last time.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly, defeated, already expecting the worst.  
  
He still didn't know how things happened so fast. The loud slam of the door being forced opened, probably kicked in, was the last noise he heard before he was able to take a last breath.  
  
Or what he thought it would be his last breath.  
  
He was finally able to open his eyes, trying to understand the blurry images in front of him. The grip that had been cutting off his air intake and stopping him from breathing wasn't there anymore. Looking around, still feeling dizzy, his eyes suddenly locked on the person that was kneeling beside his body. Squinting his eyes, still breathing heavily, he could see Baekho right beside him. His mouth was moving, but Daniel wasn't actually listening to anything he was saying; couldn't quite make out any words. His body was feeling exhausted, so he closed his eyes, giving in to his tiredness.

 

* * *

  
The blond woke up after a few hours, rays of sunlight invading the room around him as he opened his eyes. He blinked, and it took a bit longer than it should for him to process that he was in a strange place again. He tried to sit up, but the sharp headache that suddenly spread through his skull didn't let him. Settling for simply moving his head to look around instead, he could see Baekho sitting on a chair beside his bed, and on his other side of the room, Hyunsik was peacefully sleeping. He finally managed to realize that he was in the hospital room. He was still confused about what had happened, though, because the last thing he remember was seeing his friend beside him after the incident.  
  
Baekho suddenly jumped up on his chair, apparently startled that he'd fallen asleep while sitting down. He looked around, pretending nothing had happened. His eyes quickly glanced over at Daniel closing his eyes again. It took him 2 second to process that the boy was awake. Opening his eyes again, he focused then on the boy, and Daniel watched them widen with surprise.  
  
"Oh my god, you are awake!"  
  
"I guess...?"  
  
"I once called you sleeping beauty, but damn, this time you almost gave me a heart attack." Baekho placed his hand on his chest, and even though he was joking, it was clear that he was indeed concerned about the blond.  
  
"What happened...?" Daniel asked, placing one hand on his head, still feeling a small pounding in his head.  
  
"Uh, things got really serious hours ago. All I could see were three cops taking your father away when I got to your house. They called an ambulance while I tried to calm Hyunsik down." Baekho sighed. "Glad everything worked out well... kinda...I mean, apparently not for your father,"  
  
"Please, don't call him that."  
  
"Sorry..."  
  
"Any good news...?"  
  
"The doctor said tomorrow you two can go home." He nodded, sitting more comfortably on his chair, failing to find a good position.  
  
Okay, indeed that was a good news for Daniel.  
  
The two friends kept talking for hours. Daniel felt a bit guilty for falling asleep while Baekho was talking. It wasn't his fault that his body was still weak, though. When he woke up again the next morning, he could hear a few giggles coming from the bed beside his. They were definitely from Hyunsik. And the other voice he could hear in the room was familiar as well. He turned over on the bed, finding Seongwoo sitting on a chair beside Hyunsik's bed while talking to him. It was weird, because the chair Baekho had been using was now empty.  
  
"Seongwoo?" The brunet boy's eyes were suddenly on Daniel, giving him a big smile as he quickly got up from the chair to hug the blond.  
Daniel could feel that scent from the other boy filling his nose, bringing back those nice memories of them together. He hugged Seongwoo back, not wanting to let him go so easily.  
  
"Everything is okay now," the brunet whispered, patting Daniel's head softly before pulling back. The boy had to give attention to both brothers—not that Daniel was complaining about it, as after all, both were now laughing.  
  
After lunch that day, they were finally able to go home. The house that had once been considered a prison by Daniel was now a better place. For the first time in years, Daniel knew that they could both go to sleep and not have to worry about having bad company at home.  
  
Just to make sure they were fine, Seongwoo spent the firsts few nights with them, letting them feel secure again. And he was definitely not going to complain about it, because after all, he was finally able to take care of Daniel just like he had promised he would.

**Author's Note:**

> Was is it too much? Was it good? omg this was prob a mess


End file.
